Roderick Strong's first appearance on AEW this week apparently garnered an interesting reaction from the WWE locker room.
Roderick made his shocking debut last Wednesday on Dynamite, coming to the aid of Adam Cole as the latter was attacked by The Jericho Appreciation Society. The debut certainly took many fans by surprise, as it was recently reported that WWE had denied his request to be released several times.
Roderick's AEW debut was probably as surprising to the WWE locker room as it was to fans, according to a recent report by Dave Meltzer. Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer noted that although many people backstage knew Roderick's contract was up, his quick entry into AEW was not anticipated.
As of now, it remains to be seen what is next for the former NXT star in Tony Khan's promotion.
The ex-WWE star's in-ring debut in AEW has already been announced
Roderick Strong has a match on Dynamite next week, as announced by color commentator Excalibur last Wednesday.
Roderick had been a close ally of Adam Cole during their time together in the Undisputed Era faction, alongside Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish. On this week's Dynamite, the former NXT star seemed ecstatic after reuniting with The Panama City playboy. The two stars also hugged each other and stood tall as the segment ended, signifying a continued partnership.
During the show itself, Excalibur rattled off matches for next week. According to him, an 8-man tag team has also been scheduled, where Roderick Strong, Adam Cole, Orange Cassidy, and Bandido will take on The Jericho Appreciation Society.
Considering Chris Jericho's prowess and the numbers advantage with the JAS, Adam Cole will need all the help he can get. As of now, it remains to be seen if the addition of Roderick Strong will tip the scales in the future.
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